The Natter Was A Rocket-Based Wooden Aircraft By Germany

Towards the end of World War II, an
effort was made by Germany to take down the American bombers that were wreaking
havoc in Germany. The Natter (grass snake) was developed as an inexpensive and
easy to build interceptor that made use of the recently developed rocket
technology for its flight. The aircraft was designed for single use but was
utilized too late to have any kind of effect in tipping the scales of war.

The Natter was the last-ditch effort
by Germany that was taking quite a hit – literally – thanks to the allied
bombing that was continuously ongoing. Bombers hailing from the UK and the US
were bringing destruction to Germany. Cities, factories, military forces, and
energy production facilities were being pounded, and Berlin was losing its
ability to fight. The ability to protect the skies was also severely hampered
because of a lack of aircraft, fuel, and trained pilots.

That is when the Natter came into
play. It was designed to carry out a single task; take off and fire a barrage
of nose-mounted rockets at the enemy’s bomber formations. The Natter was
disposable and was designed to carry out the said task only once. The pilot had
to parachute back to Earth, and parts of the aircraft would be recovered to be
used later on.

The Natter was designed for vertical
take-off by making use of Germany’s rocket technology, thus avoiding the use of
long airfields. This would make it possible for Germany to intercept the
bombers from unprecedented locations. The Natter didn’t need aviation fuel,
ball bearing, and even metal. Germany made use of wood and rocket motors for
carrying out its job.

The Natter was, however, too late to
have any effect on the outcome of World War II. There is only one model of it
that is displayed in a museum. Check out the video below to learn more about
it!